cybersecurity

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Foreign Interference Can't Alter Election Results, Official Says

Cybersecurity chief assures voters that solid protections are in place

(Newser) - Nearly a month out from Election Day, the head of the nation's cybersecurity agency is forcefully reassuring Americans who have been swept into the chaotic churn of election disinformation and distrust that they will be able to feel confident in the outcome. State and local election officials have made...

Startup Rejects Google's Staggering Acquisition Offer

Cybersecurity firm Wiz turns down $23B deal, which would been Google's biggest ever

(Newser) - Thanks, but no thanks. That's the message cybersecurity startup Wiz delivered to Google as it rejected a $23 billion takeover offer, reports CNBC . It would have been Google's biggest acquisition ever. "Saying no to such humbling offers is tough," Wiz co-founder Assaf Rappaport wrote in a...

In This Catholic Hospital System, 'Unusual Activity'

Cyberattack fells Ascension, diverting ambulances and wreaking havoc across the US

(Newser) - A cyberattack on the Ascension health system operating in 19 states across the US forced some of its 140 hospitals to divert ambulances, caused patients to postpone medical tests, and blocked online access to patient records. An Ascension spokesperson said it detected "unusual activity" Wednesday on its computer network...

Overflowing Texas Water Tower May Be a 'Worrisome Escalation'
In Texas, an
Overflowing
Water Tower
Points to Russia
in case you missed it
Apr 21, 2024 8:30 AM CDT

In Texas, an Overflowing Water Tower Points to Russia

Russian hackers have claimed responsibility, in what may be nation's first attack on US water

(Newser) - A water tower in a small Texas town overflowed in January, spilling tens of thousands of gallons into the streets. Now, Google-owned cybersecurity company Mandiant says the incident in Muleshoe may be the first hack into US water systems by Russia after infiltrators tied to one of that country's...

US Will Spend Billions to Rid Ports of China-Made Cranes

It's part of an effort to strengthen marine cybersecurity

(Newser) - America will spend billions to produce homegrown cargo cranes and swap them out for the China-built cranes that currently stand at many US ports, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. It will be the first time that giant cargo cranes will be made domestically in 30 years, per the Wall Street ...

FBI Director Issues 'Dramatic Public Warning' on China
FBI Director Issues 'Dramatic
Public Warning' on China
the rundown
Jan 31, 2024 12:15 PM CST

FBI Director Issues 'Dramatic Public Warning' on China

Christopher Wray says hackers are targeting America's infrastructure

(Newser) - FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday issued what CNN calls a "dramatic public warning" about the cyberthreat posed by China, specifically to US infrastructure. Appearing before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, he said Chinese hackers are going after the things that keep us "safe...

Cops Warn About New iPhone Feature, Experts Say to Chill
Cops Warn About New iPhone
Feature, Experts Say to Chill
in case you missed it
Dec 3, 2023 3:40 PM CST

Cops Warn About New iPhone Feature, Experts Say to Chill

Red flag on NameDrop says user contact info could be inadvertently shared, but tech geeks say no

(Newser) - A sharing feature built into Apple's latest iOS update has police departments nationwide issuing a warning to iPhone users, but security experts say the hubbub may be a bit hyped up. The new NameDrop feature allows consumers who have phones using iOS 17.1, or watchOS 10.1 on...

'Cybersecurity Issue' Hits MGM Resorts' Hotels, Casinos

Company's main website is down in 'ongoing' event

(Newser) - A "cybersecurity issue" led to the shutdown of some casino and hotel computer systems at MGM Resorts International properties across the US, a company official reported Monday. The incident began Sunday. The extent of its effect was not immediately known on reservation systems and casino floors in Las Vegas...

'Typo Leak' Could Be Big Problem for US Military

Messages supposed go to military email addresses are being sent to Mali

(Newser) - A Dutch internet entrepreneur says he has repeatedly warned the US government over the last decade that emails intended for the American military are being sent to Mali because of a common typo. Johannes Zuurbier tells the Financial Times that instead of the suffix .mil used for American military email...

Energy Department, Other Agencies Hit by 'Intrusions'

Ransomware attack that appears to have exploited a computer flaw has affected other groups globally

(Newser) - The Department of Energy and multiple other federal agencies are the victims of a ransomware attack that has already hit businesses in the UK and elsewhere around the globe. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is lending support to those agencies "that have experienced intrusions,"...

FBI: Don't Use Free Public Phone-Charging Stations
FBI: Free Public
Phone-Charging
Stations Are Dangerous
in case you missed it
Apr 15, 2023 4:15 PM CDT

FBI: Free Public Phone-Charging Stations Are Dangerous

Malware could be introduced onto your device, bureau warns

(Newser) - Desperate for some juice for your phone while traveling? Don't resort to using a free public phone-charging station, the FBI warns. "Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers," the FBI's Denver office tweets . "Bad actors have figured out ways to use...

TikTok Gets Smacked Down by Multiple States

Maryland, South Dakota, South Carolina cite cybersecurity risks in ban on government devices

(Newser) - Maryland is banning the use of TikTok and certain China- and Russia-based platforms in the state's executive branch of government, Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday, citing an unacceptable cybersecurity risk to the state. The Republican governor announced an emergency cybersecurity directive to prohibit the use of the platforms, saying...

National Guard to Help States With Election Cybersecurity

Units are being deployed in 14 states

(Newser) - National Guard personnel are being deployed to states to protect the midterm elections from cybersecurity threats. The experts will help in 14 states, Politico reports, starting before Election Day and continuing through the aftermath. The commander of the Washington state Air National Guard said calling on a "military-grade helper"...

Hacker Posed as Uber Staffer
Uber Hacker Gained
Admin Access
Sep 17, 2022 2:10 PM CDT

Uber Hacker Gained Admin Access

Experts lament Uber failures that allowed breach

(Newser) - The ride-hailing service Uber said Friday that all its services were operational following what security professionals are calling a major data breach, claiming there was no evidence the hacker got access to sensitive user data. But the breach, apparently by a lone hacker, put the spotlight on an increasingly effective...

It's a Modern, Disturbing Twist on Human Trafficking

ProPublica explains how people are forced to work as cyberscammers

(Newser) - When the subject of human trafficking is raised, it's common to think of people forced into sex work or perhaps grueling manual labor. But a story at ProPublica digs into human trafficking with a more modern bent—people forced to work as cyberscammers. In this case, the focus is...

Warning Puts a Damper on Lawmakers' Use of TikTok

Memo from chamber's Chief Administrative Office warns against app due to privacy, security concerns

(Newser) - Even members of the US House of Representatives and their staff like to catch the latest viral dance video on TikTok, but a new warning from the chamber's Chief Administrative Office may have them rethinking using the popular social-media app. "We do not recommend the download or use...

Digital 'Swarm' Fights Russian Sites Online

One Ukrainian site lets mothers search photos for sons among captured Russian troops

(Newser) - Formed in a fury to counter Russia's blitzkrieg attack, Ukraine's hundreds-strong volunteer "hacker" corps is more than a paramilitary cyberattack force in Europe's first major war of the internet age. It is crucial to information combat and to crowdsourcing intelligence. "We are really a swarm....

FBI Has Ominous Advice for Olympians

Bureau tells athletes to use burner phones, warns of 'malicious cyber activities' in China

(Newser) - The FBI is urging Olympic athletes to use burner phones while in China over fears that they might otherwise be tracked. "The FBI urges all athletes to keep their personal cell phones at home and use a temporary phone while at the Games," the agency says. It adds...

Tech Teams Scour Code Before Hackers Exploit Log4j Flaw
Tech Teams Rush to Plug
Software Hole Before Attacks
the rundown
Dec 20, 2021 4:26 PM CST

Tech Teams Rush to Plug Software Hole Before Attacks

Hackers can use flaw to take over servers

(Newser) - Criminal hackers and security experts are locked in a race over the vulnerability in Log4j software . Patches are being released, but the danger from the vulnerability has not yet passed, the Washington Post reports. When the number of sites, services, and devices at risk are added up, experts say, this...

US Warns Software Flaw Puts Millions of Devices at Risk

Companies need to clean up their code quickly, analysts say

(Newser) - US cybersecurity officials have warned companies of a software vulnerability that could put millions of electronic devices at risk from hackers. The warning was delivered to executives Monday in a phone call involving officials of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN reports. "We expect the vulnerability to...

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